"Jesus," he said under his breath.

"Just give me a minute. I'll find it. You can't expect me to locate it as quickly as you. I'm not in practice. And I'll remind you I've been ill. It's taking most of my concentration just to stand up."

He stepped behind her and encircled her waist, taking care to leave her arms free. "Lean against me and let me do the standin' while you do the lookin'."

Preoccupied with her star search, Laura forgot how intimidating she usually found him. In that moment of forgetfulness, she relaxed against him, and as she did, a wonderful warmth flowed over her. The support of his lean body made her feel secure and safe. She knew he had enough strength in that arm to hold her erect even if her knees did fold. He bent to press his cheek against her temple and follow her gaze.

"Darlin', you ain't goin' about this right at all," he whispered huskily. "Let's start at the beginnin', okay? First, find your zenith."

"My zenith? You know a word like zenith?"

"Stop tryin' to nettle me and pay attention. Do you even know what the zenith is?"

"The highest point? How can I find that in the sky? It all looks the same height to me."

His chest jerked on a low laugh. "The zenith is the patch of sky right above that pretty little head of yours."

At least he hadn't said empty. "My head is not little."

"Average size then. You got a fix on the sky right above us? Good. Now, goin' out from there and turnin' a slow circle"he slowly began a revolution, still supporting her weight"find me Match-squa-thi' Muga, The Little Bear."

"The little what?"

"The little cup, I think you folks call it."

"You mean the Little Dipper?"

"There you go, the Little Dipper."

Laura pointed triumphantly. "Fooled you. I bet you thought I wouldn't find it."

"I don't think you're blind, darlin', just... Never mind. Now, follow the little bugger's tail."

"You were going to say 'ignorant,' weren't you?"

"Nah. Are you followin' the Little Bear's tail?"

"Where shall I follow it to?"

"That bright star at the tip."

"Got it."

"That is the North Star, and it always sits atwixt your zenith and the northern horizon. It's about as straight north as north can get."

"You know a word like horizon? I'm amazed."

"If you keep on, I'm gonna paddle your fanny yet." He tightened his hold on her waist to turn her again. "Okaysay there's a cloud over the Little Bear."

"I knew there had to be a hitch."

His chest shook again. "In case you can't see it, you can always look for the Big Bear and use its pointin' stars to find the North Star." He helped her locate the formation and explained which stars pointed north. "Now you got two ways to find the North Star, right?"

"What if both are covered by a cloud?"

"Sit your fanny down until the cloud moves."

"What if I'm trying to run off from you, you're hot on my trail, and I can't afford to sit there waiting?"

"You'll be up the crick without no paddle, that's what."

Laura smiled, enjoying the warmth of him all around her and the ticklish feeling of his breath in her hair. She was losing her mind, that had to be it.

"So..." he murmured in a silky voice. "If you're facin' the North Star, which way's north?"

"I am not stupid, Mr. Sheridan. If the star lies to the north, that is north. So whoop-dee-doo. I still don't know where the village is."

"It's southwest. So get your bearin's and point me the right way. Get it on the first try, and I'll carry you back."

Laura closed her eyes. At his impatient grunt, she waved a hand. "Do hush. I've almost got it. Let me see. On a map, west would be"

"Hold it, hold it, hold it!" he interrupted. "Damn if I don't wish Tristan Cheney was here so I could shoot the bastard. Didn't he teach you nothin'? I can see your daddy neglectin' the chore, you livin' in Boston and all. But that husband of yours. What was he thinkin' of, bringin' you into this country and not seein' to it you could find your way around?"

Laura had no answer to that.

Deke took a calming breath. "Okay. Forget tryin' to remember maps and which way everything lays every time you gotta go someplace. At night, alls you need to remind you of your directions is the North Star and your body."

"My body?"

"You're facin' the North Star, so which way are them pretty little breasts of yours pointin'?"

She sputtered and opened her eyes. "Mr. Sheridan!"

"They do point straight ahead."

"You could have said my nose."

"Knowin' you, you'd be ganderin' off at somethin' and follow it. I don't have to worry about you forgettin' where your breasts are. I ain't never seen anybody guard nothin' so close in all my life."

"My nose is pointing north," she said with a sniff.

"And that soft little butt?"

She really was going to kick himthe instant he turned her loose. "South," she ground out.

"And your right arm, hangin' down straight to your side?"

"East."

"So which way is southwest, goin' midway atwixt your fanny and left arm?"

Laura pointed the way. Deke chuckled and swept her off her feet. "Now ain't that somethin'?"

"Except that you were here to tell me we needed to go southwest."

"Yeah, well, we'll work on it." He turned suddenly, totally disorienting her. "Now, where is the North Star?"

Laura quickly located her zenith, found the Little Dipper, and pointed.

"And which way's southwest?"

She indicated the way.

"Damn. If I wasn't seein' it with my own eyes, I wouldn't believe it. Boston, you know your directions, with no ish stuck on the end."

"I suppose you think I'm incredibly stupid."

He set out walking, carrying her with an ease that was somewhat unsettling. "Not a bit. There's a stretch of difference between bein' stupid and just never bein' taught, honey. Take me, for instance. There's all kinds of things you know that I don't. So many that I bet I could spend the next year just askin' you questions. That don't make me feel stupid, just ignorant."

Still miffed at her own ineptness and convinced that Deke was far more knowledgeable about things that were really useful, at least in this treacherous country, she rolled her eyes and said, "Off the top of your head, name me just one question you're really dying to ask me. And no fair making something up to make me feel better."

"Promise not to laugh?"

"Of course I won't."

"What the hell is a baboon?"

Laura giggled until tears streamed from her eyes.

Chapter 18.

*Laura's laughter died a quick death when Deke reached the edge of the village. By the time he shouldered aside the flap to his mother's lodge, she had become downright gloomy. The moment she had been dreading had arrived.

Deke carried her to the bed of furs and gently lowered her onto them. Then he knelt beside her. In the dying firelight, he looked very tall, very dark, and extremely dangerous, not at all the sort of man who would consider giving a woman a reprieve on her wedding night. Laura supposed she should be grateful he was willing to wait to accomplish the full deed until she was recovered from having the baby.

Even so, she had to try. "Mr. Sheridan"

"Deke."

"Deke." She licked her lips. "Iwould you consider"

"Whatever it is you mean to ask, nope." Bracing one hand on the fur, he leaned over her, the tooth medallion dangling to trail lightly over her right breast. Laura's breath snagged at the riot of sheer sensation that shot through her at the contact. A satisfied glimmer shone in his eyes as he shifted slightly to make another pass. "Know why?"

"Because you're a baboon?"

He chuckled at that and smoothed a tendril of hair from her cheek. "Maybe that, too. But mostly because you gotta learn, sooner or later, that I ain't Tristan Cheney. Tonight is as good a time as any to start. I don't reckon you'll learn much about what kinda man I am if I'm snubbed down by promises."

"You don't even know what I was going to ask."

"Don't need to. Whatever it was, it's got you worried. That's just the way I want you."

"Oh, well, thank you very much. Please, do enjoy my torment."

He chucked her under the chin. "Unless you think the worst of me, darlin', how can I prove you wrong?"

"Wrong? What do you mean?"

"If I told you that, this whole blanket-flappin' lesson would be wasted."

"Blanket what?"

"Never mind."

"In other words, you don't intend to do anything, but you want me to believe you might until the last second so I'll see what a fine fellow you actually are?"

"Now, see there, Boston? You ain't so dumb after all."

"Truly?" she whispered. "You don't intend to do anything?"

He made no reply, simply lowered his hand from her chin to the top button of her blouse.

"What are you doing?"

"As I recollect, you call it two things, undressin' you or removin' your clothing. Take your pick."

"But if you" Laura grabbed for the buttons he hadn't yet reached. "Why are you removing my clothing if you don't intend to do anything?"

"Did I say that?"

"Yes."

"I didn't. I said I wasn't makin' no promises." He brushed her fingers aside to attack another button. "You was the one who" He shoved at her fingers again. "I thought I was the one with too many hands?"

Laura felt herself losing the battle as button after button fell away under his fingertips. "Isn't this your mother's lodge?"

"Yep. But not to worry. She's seen lots of undressed women. Besides, she's stayin' with her sister to give us privacy."